In other words a victory in your mind.

Our verses today talk about victory and it all starts with a little anticipation. Do you feel it? Do you feel the anticipation of Jesus Christ’s return? It could be a thousand years away, but once we die it will take as long as a twinkling of an eye and we’ll be there. In essence life is the longer part of the wait for us. So what do we do to make the most of this life?

We have Victory!

We keep our minds on the task in front of us, but keep The Hope of Jesus Christ’s return alive in our hearts and minds. No problem trumps the joy of Jesus’s return, no obstacle, no sickness, and no joy could possibly overwhelm us more. In our last post we talked about that joy and truth. Today our verses are just as triumphant. Let’s go to Philippians.

“Not as though I had already attained, [Paul had not arrived at the return of Christ yet no one had] either were already perfect, [have a perfect and new spiritual body]; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend [attain to] that for which also I am [was] apprehended [attained] of [by] Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12

Paul was appointed by Christ Jesus to live this life, to carry out the ministry, to believe, to know that he was crucified with Him, to know that he rose with Him.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended [attained]: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” vs. 13

Paul says that he is forgetting about his ancestry: Hebrew of the Hebrews, his education, his other worldly acclaim. Paul now is reaching forth to those things which are ahead.

Today I’d like to stop there and go over an incredible renewed mind principle.

Are you having trouble with old habit patterns of thinking? Here’s a list of examples.

condemnation,

guilt,

lying,

stealing,

laziness,

Victim mentality,

procrastination,

past sin consciousness (Sin consciousness is when past sins are always hovering around beating you up with your guilt over them.)

Bitterness

Doubt

Worry

Fears

Jealousy

I think I can stop now because you get the idea. These are all examples of “UN-renewed mind” thinking or “worldly thinking.”

God asks us in Romans to renew our minds.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2

So HOW? How do we renew our mind? Paul and God are all about telling us how. (Thank GOD!)

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended [attained]: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Philippians 3:13

This is a two part procedure for deliverance and healing. All of us pray for healing, we pray for deliverance, but God gave you freewill. You are free to think what ever you want. He never possesses us He never takes over. We have to decide with our freewill that we want the change. And then we have to wrangle our thoughts, because that’s our responsibility, and work them like a drill sergeant on a flunking cadet. Is it really so hard to say no? Can you tell someone no, you don’t want fries with that, or no you don’t like mushrooms on your pizza, or no you don’t need to use the restroom. Sure, that is easy. So just tell your mind with the same ease that “NO, you are not going to think evil thoughts, etc.” You are in charge. By doing that, you will then be doing the first part of this procedure.

“Forgetting those things which are behind.”

You deliberately forget. Tell your mind no. That is an act of your freewill. Forgetting gets a bad rap in today’s society, but God is showing us how to use it to our advantage here. He made our minds with the ability to forget. So forget the past. Forget the acclaim in worldly prizes. Forget your ego. Forget “Mees-ville”.

Okay. Then what. We cannot have all this forgetting without creating a mental vacuum, devoid of thoughts. Dangerous! What do we fill that vacuum with?

“…and reaching forth unto those things which are before.”

This is the second part. We reach forth to the things which are before. We fill our lives and our thoughts with the things that God has next for us. What’s that?

“I press toward the mark [finish line] for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” vs. 14

The finish line is where the winner is determined, not in the middle of the race. Where is our finish line? The podium where God will hand out the crowns and rewards for our faithfulness. It’s at the “out resurrection”, or the moment the trump shall sound. Are we there yet? NO. Sometimes I look around and wish I could see more of the rewards, more of the prizes but I’m not at the finish line yet. I’m not competing against my brothers and sisters in Christ, I am racing against myself. I press in to do more today than yesterday. I try to beat my last score. What does that mean? I check in with God and ask, “What’s next today God. What should I be thinking and doing right now? How can I press in more Father? If He says slow down and rest, I rest. If He says, pick up that straggler beside you and urge them to keep running. Then I encourage. I’m doing what God asked, so I’m pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Trust me with this attitude you forget the past real quick. God doesn’t want us going over our past with a fine tooth comb. He doesn’t want you to re-live, re-tell, re-feel every moment, because when you’re busy looking in the rear view mirror you can’t see the incredible road before you. So there you have it. A basic “How-To” of renewing your mind. There’s more, because the definition of renewing the mind is putting the Word of God in Mind and acting accordingly. Phil. 3:12-14 is acting accordingly about your past, present and future. SO have it! And have fun.

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,” Ephesians 3:20